Dominic the lionhearted

October 10, 2004|By Detroit Free Press.

Dominic Raiola says it's no big deal. A week ago he was getting over a surgical procedure on his heart. This week the Detroit Lions center is getting ready for three hours of mayhem with Atlanta Falcons defensive tackles. "I'm fine now," he said. "It's like nothing ever happened." Because of an out-of-control heartbeat, he underwent a procedure in the off-season in which doctors ran electrical wires through blood vessels from his groin area up into the heart. But the problem came back after he got to training camp, so he had it done again. "It's got nothing to do with my heart," Raiola said. "It's basic-ally an IV going through my veins, and that's the main thing that has to heal, and that's already healed."